Bolet plays Strauss/Schulz-Evler ''Blue Danube'' 1/2

[humbertesque]

@davecarlson45 "Only other version that even comes close"? Surely you jest. Lhevinne's performance of this piece constitutes what is easily one of the greatest piano recordings ever made. Bolet's virtuosity cannot be denied, but his rendition of this piece can't even touch Lhevinne's in terms of both musicality and virtuosity. It doesn't sparkle with clarity, it doesn't sweep you away with its fluidity, it doesn't float through the air like Lhevinne's does.

[Rastaleus2]

The only thing crass is to profane the memory of Lhevinne, Rachmaninoff, or even Ogden by putting the (arguably) esteemed Mse. Bolet in the same room with them. Mucn as I love Bolet's pianism, there is "great" and thers is IMMORTAL! Think about it, if at first you cannot digest. RE: the inaequacy of the Baldwin, inferior or not, it is a helluva better instrument than Chopin, Liszt, or even Schulz-Evler (for that matter) ever dreamed of playing.

[cziffra11]

Comparing this Bolet performance with Lhevinne's is like comparing two fine wines. Why go without either? Regarding Bolet as being "underrated," there may be a commercial aspect. Bolet was playing with fire and poetry in relative obscurity -- emphasize "relative" -- before he got a long-term recording contract with London. By that time he was a far more thoughtful, some would say turgid, player, especially his Liszt. But he was always elegant and remarkably refined.

[Inness54]

@cziffra11 Yes. That's it. No two batches are alike, and you know we don't even have two performances alike- always refining, re-orchestrating, re-voicing, and often improvisationally at the moment. Unfortunately this music brings out the Times Critic in too many, and the result is a snobbery to drive away visitors and pound more nails into the coffin of obscurity into which a great music and musicianship prematurely settles.

[TomBarrister]

@cziffra11 This particular performance is very bravura, but that's how Mr. Bolet was. Contrast this to Lehvinne or Hamelin, who perform it with less showmanship. None of the three is "the" correct way, as no correct way exists. Which one is liked best is a matter of personal taste.

[Troybeallad]

A brilliant pianist, saw (and heard) him several times in London.

[uhartchristian]

Its to say a very big thank you to Mr Bolet to have recorded this and saved this interpretation to our time, as at the moment in austria no one is able to play this.... well there was such an enourmous loss of pianists in the thirties and fourties of the 20th century in austria which never was replaced.....

[jukarnarius]

I like this performance... thank you very much...

[aardvaark069]

I think that Bolets choice of this Baldwin in this is a weakness here. I've heard better Baldwins and in my opinion this piano is inadequate for Bolets resources. Obviously he didn't think so but I think that the piano has a rather crass, course sound to it..

[IrishPianoMan1996]

No charge. Just personal message me with your email and i'll send them.

[IrishPianoMan1996]

I have the sheets. Anyone want them. Personal message me with your email.

[dexterityhunter]

Lhevinne's version is legendary, of course. But all the things one might miss there are here in abundance: colors and charme. But above all: Bolet's command of the keyboard is at least equal to Lhevinne's!

It is one of the most evident injustices of last century's music history that Bolet did not receive the recognition he so utterly deserved.

By the way: it was him who "rediscovered" Prokofiev's second piano concerto! Anyone on YT who could post that???

[arturon111]

no way, Bolet was not in the level of Lhevinne, and neither one of them in the level of Arrau,...

[rachmanipablo]

impresionante me encanta esta variacion del tema la interpretacion es fantastica

[horatiodreamt]

I think this is a fine performance. The difference between this and Lhevinne's recorded performances is that one immediately notices Lhevinne's sheer power and brilliance...especially in octave passages and double-thirds. This Bolet performance is bit more hesitant in the bravura passages than Lhevinne. I'm not casting aspersions on Bolet, but the Lhevinne's performances are sheer exhiliration, and Bolet's is a bit more academic.

[pincheruso]

Would be interesting to hear Volodos at that piece...I think,he is the one,who could get that kind of brilliance...But,defenitely,Lh­evinne`s performance is the best....Agree with karlakor!Thank you for posting - great,anyways!

[paulprocopolis]

Wow! - is this really the same pianist that I heard in the late 1970s and early-to-mid

80s, whom I usually found worthy but rather dull, and not always very reliable? This performance is fantastic - superbly executed and yet so stylish and elegant too. Thanks for this revelation!

[camaysar222]

I like Lhevinne's grace, elegance, aristocratic directness and effortless flow in this piece... his "dash and panache". Bolet (I studied with him way back when) is musical and expressive, but Lhevinne makes more of an impression. Still, of course, Bolet plays wonderfully!

[karlakor]

davecarlson45--This is off the subject, but Bolet, in a masterclass posted here at youtube, posed a very thoughtful question. He said that a composer takes maybe a month to compose a piece, and then he moves on to his next composition, but he, Bolet, is still playing pieces today that he learned when he was 13 or 14 years old. He wondered if it was presumptious of him to think that maybe he knew the piece even better than the composer did. This is a very thought-provoking question.

[karlakor]

davecarlson45--Have you heard Josef Lhevinne's recordings of this piece? Both the acoustic recording and the piano roll are beyond belief. You might revise your opinion of both Bolet and Wild after you hear them, both of which are posted here at youtube.

[Etude69]

This is a very difficult work to master, yet Bolet displays excellent technique, control, and dynamics, and in general probably the best performance of this masterpiece on YouTube!

[Etude69]

This is a very difficult work to play, yet Bolet displays excellent technique, control, dynamics, and in general probably the best perfomance of this work on YouTube, and........live no less! :)

[f2781]

I sincerely thank you for posting this. I love this man's playing!

[paulostroff99]

Stunning! One of history's most underrated pianists. Bravo! TY.